His evidence was branded ‘an exercise in evasion and mud slinging’ and he was convicted by a jury
Anthony Brown pictured outside Hull Crown Court(Image: Hull Live)
A scheming sex offender has been branded a “monster” after he cynically targeted a young girl before later trying to talk his way out of trouble by “throwing as much mud as possible” at her. Anthony Brown groomed the vulnerable girl with sweets and money before telling her that his sexual abuse would be “their secret”.
His evidence was “an exercise in evasion” and he pretended that the girl had told “horrible, wicked, terrible lies” about him. She had been left “overwhelmed and scared” by what happened to her, Hull Crown Court heard.
Brown, 59, of Bridlington, denied three offences of indecently assaulting the girl but he was convicted by a jury after a trial. He was cleared of three other offences, including indecent assault and indecency with a child.
Stephen Robinson, prosecuting, said that Brown groomed the girl and bribed her before intimately touching her and telling her that it would be “their secret” and not to say anything. The girl had said: “He used to get me sweets” and she claimed that he would ask her what she wanted for her birthday, also as a bribe.
Brown would speak inappropriately to the girl. “She has been groomed by the defendant,” said Mr Robinson. “She says this was done for sweets or money.”
The girl told someone else what was happening and she twice went to the police. “She went to the police because it had happened,” said Mr Robinson.
“The defendant has behaved exactly as he is alleged to have done. She gave compelling evidence as to what has happened to her.
“She told others about it, not for attention but because she was trying to deal with it. She has given a reliable and compelling account.
“The defendant, on the other hand, is lying. He is throwing as much mud as possible in the hope that at least some of it will stick, making things up as he went along and obviously lying.”
Brown claimed that the girl had made up the allegations and persisted with them before lying to the police and the court, said Mr Robinson.
If Brown’s claims were true about her, it would mean that she had been telling “quite wicked, wicked lies” for no apparent reason at all. Brown had behaved as “something of a monster” in his behaviour.
The girl was “overwhelmed and scared” during an interview with the police. “She was scared by what had happened,” said Mr Robinson.
“She had been groomed and encouraged to keep this as a secret when she was very young.” The girl kept a diary journal, however, that she had been sexually abused by Brown.
“There is no reason for her to make this up and nothing to cause her to persist in saying these things,” said Mr Robinson. “She keeps talking to others about this.
“It keeps affecting her.” Brown’s evidence was “an exercise in evasion and mud slinging” and he “took every opportunity that he could to have a go” at the character of the girl.
“If he is right, she has told horrible, wicked, terrible lies about him,” claimed Mr Robinson. “He is doing his best to get out of this.”
During Brown’s defence evidence, Mr Robinson told him: “You sexually abused her.” Brown replied: “No, I didn’t. That’s rubbish. There was never any sexual behaviour towards her.”
Defence barrister Benjamin Donnell claimed to the jury that there were many aspects of the girl’s evidence that were “inconsistent” and that she had switched between different versions of events. The defence claimed that Brown did not commit the offences against her.
Brown had been on bail during the trial but he was remanded in custody after the three guilty verdicts were returned. He faces a prison sentence at the next hearing.
Did you know you can make Hull Live a preferred source of Hull news in Google, which will mean you get more of our breaking news, exclusives, and must-read stories straight away? Here’s more information about what this means and how to do it – you can also do it straight away by clicking here.